Using Outcome Trajectory Evaluation to Assess HarvestPlus’ Contribution to the Development of National Biofortification Breeding Programs

Abstract

Improving policies—broadly defined—is at the heart of the structural transformation agenda. This paper describes the use of a new evaluation method—outcome trajectory evaluation (OTE), based on both evaluation and policy process theory—to explore the influence of HarvestPlus, a large and complex research for development program focused on improving nutrition, on a specific policy outcome, namely the establishment of biofortification crop breeding programs in national agricultural research institutes in Bangladesh, India, and Rwanda. The findings support claims of significant HarvestPlus contributions while also raising issues that need to be monitored to ensure sustainability. The paper also discusses the pros and cons of the OTE approach in terms of methodological rigor and the accumulation of learning from one evaluation to the next.

The Adoption of Genetically Modified Crops in Africa: the Public’s Current Perception, the Regulatory Obstacles, and Ethical Challenges

“…For instance, in Uganda, HarvestPlus and other organizations have been instrumental in providing farmers with access to vitamin A-rich orange-fleshed sweet potatoes (OFSP) through partnerships with agricultural extension services and seed distribution programs. 95 , 96 Thus, governments, non-governmental organizations, and partners in the private sector must work together to coordinate efforts in order to address the infrastructure and distribution challenges.…”